


We Will Take Care of Each Other

by Irhaboggles



Category: Maleficent (Disney Movies)
Genre: AU, Alternate Ending, Alternate Universe, Angst, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Longer than expected, Mother-Daughter Relationship, five shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-03
Updated: 2019-11-03
Packaged: 2021-01-21 00:37:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21290831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Irhaboggles/pseuds/Irhaboggles
Summary: Alternate ending to the first film where the final battle doesn't occur until after Aurora has moved into the Moors and grown accustomed to living with the fairies
Comments: 1
Kudos: 40





	1. Back to the Moors

"Are we going back to the Moors now?" Aurora asked timidly. After all she'd been through in the past few hours, she wanted nothing more than to be back home with Maleficent, where she belonged.

"Yes, if you wish," Maleficent replied, one of her rare smiles flickering across her face. Even after all that had transpired between them, their love had prevailed and not only had she found the power to save Aurora, but Aurora had forgiven her as well. For once, all was right in Maleficent's world, and she had not been quite so happy in many, many years.

Aurora nodded in response to Maleficent's offer and Maleficent's smile grew even wider. With Diaval in tow, the trio took leave of King Stefan's castle and made it safely back to the Moors without being noticed. Or so they thought. But Stefan had seen them. He had seen them go. He had seen Maleficent come into the castle and he had bidden his men to be ready for battle. But then, the next time he saw her, she was leaving the castle. And his daughter was following after. And he had heard what she had said.

"Are we going back to the Moors now?"

It was a simple question, but it put Stefan on a mental lockdown. So, the treacherous witch hadn't only been scheming and warring against him for all these years… She had stolen away his child too! And in more ways than one! First, she had forced him to send Aurora away for 16 long years. Then her evil curse killed the young princess. And now? Now Aurora was alive again, but totally seduced into Maleficent's service, asking sweetly if they could go back to the Moors and be together again.

There were no words to describe the burning fury Stefan felt when he realized that Maleficent had duped him again and, for a third time in their lifetimes, managed to steal Aurora away from him. Was that this treacherous witch's plan all along? To take his spawn away from him and raise it as her own? He began to doubt the curse, then. Her "true love" clause… Had that ever really been real? Or just a farce? Maybe that was the plan all along, kill Aurora and then bring her back to life as some sort of slave. Maybe the whole "true love's kiss" thing had only been a front to scare everyone into submission when, all along, Maleficent had possessed the power to save Aurora. She only ever pretended that she hadn't in order to kick off this 16-year-long punishment.

"Sire!" a guard whispered urgently to King Stefan. "Maleficent is-"

"I KNOW!" the mad king whipped around and whisper-yelled at his guard. His eyes were full of fury and insanity and the guard had the good sense to take a quick step back before anything more drastic could happen. "But we will not kill her. Not yet. Not until I have my daughter back! Do you understand?!" Stefan looked seconds away from murdering the guard and even though he managed to keep his voice to a whisper, it couldn't have been more terrifying if he had yelled. But the guard got the message loud and clear either way and was quick to bow in submission.

"Yes, my king!" he gasped, nearly falling to his knees before turning and fleeing in terror to alert his men that they were not going to attack.

But it was not paternal feelings that were urging Stefan to exact a different kind of revenge. It was hatred. It was all that was left in his soul. He didn't want Aurora back because he loved or missed her. He wanted Aurora back because she _belonged _to _him _as _his _child, and because he knew that nothing would torment Maleficent more than to watch Aurora be ripped away from her, just as she had been ripped away from him 16 years prior… Maleficent had spent 16 years trying to keep Aurora all to herself, and away from Stefan. Now he was going to return the favor. He was going to uncover her twisted plot and take Aurora back and force her to watch as 16 years of work were undone. Aurora would be returned to _his_ service and Maleficent would be helpless to stop it.

"Now _you'll _know how it feels!" the mad king snarled to the Maleficent in his mind. "I have caught onto your plot and now you will pay dearly for it. You will finally know how it feels and you will be forced to watch your little scheme coming burning down to the ground before you follow it!"

While his men prepared for battle, Stefan himself returned to his royal chambers. Unlocking the cabinet which held Maleficent's wings, he laughed manically to himself. He wasn't just going to steal Aurora back from Maleficent, he was also going to destroy everything she had ever loved, starting with the wings and ending with her kingdom. It was all going to burn and she would be the last to die so that she might see everything she had ever worked for come crumbling down before her very eyes, just like she had done to him. Vengeance would be so sweet…

But while Stefan and his men plotted, Maleficent and Aurora returned to the Moors seeking peace, comfort and safety. Even if neither of them knew just how far Stefan was willing to go to prove a point, they both knew that Stefan would likely try at least once to come and reclaim Aurora as his own. This thought was particularly worrisome to Maleficent. Even though she acknowledged that Stefan was Aurora's birthfather and, thusly, did have some natural claim over her that Maleficent did not, she also knew what a cruel man he was and she knew it would be a crime for her to let Aurora walk into the arms of a monster like that.

"Start setting sentinels to guard our walls," Maleficent whispered to Diaval before turning him into a raven. After cawing his assent, he flew skyward to warn some of the more powerful Moorland creatures that there was a good chance of seeing Stefan within the coming weeks.

But while Diaval set up guards, Maleficent returned to Aurora.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner," she began awkwardly. It still felt strange for her to apologize, and it brought a great pain to her chest to talk about what she had almost done to Aurora, but she knew that she owed it to the girl to apologize properly this time.

"I forgive you," Aurora interrupted, reaching out to touch her arm. Her eyes sparkled with sincerity. All bad blood between them was gone, as far as she was concerned. She could not deny that Maleficent had done a terrible thing to her, but the way she saw it, Maleficent had saved her from the curse as well. That canceled out her first wicked deed. And even if it didn't, since this was Maleficent's attack against Aurora, only Aurora could decide whether or not to forgive Maleficent, and she had decided on a yes. She would forgive Maleficent.

Nothing else was said for several minutes, but nothing else needed to be. Maleficent could see it all, that entire explanation and way of thinking, just by looking into Aurora's face and eyes. She was so sweet and emotional, she hid nothing. That was one of the most beautiful things about her. She was so easy to read and there was something so refreshing about that. Maleficent could see the entire rationale behind Aurora's forgiveness without Aurora needing to say a word. Her face said it all. The smile, the understanding look, the warmth and love, the shared pain. She understood. And she had forgiven…

"I love you, Beastie," Maleficent whispered, gently reaching out to cup Aurora's face. Aurora felt her heart warm and brighten like the sun. She knew how hard it was for Maleficent to show physical affection, so to feel Maleficent touching her so gently now felt like heaven.

"I love you too, Godmother," she replied, and she cautiously opened her arms. Maleficent's tender expression changed to one of amusement before she mirrored Aurora's gesture and pulled her in for a hug. All was right with their worlds…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Qiralyn Cassette, I hope you're happy. This got WAY longer than it was supposed to… But I hope you like it! :P


	2. A New Role to Play

But in the days to come, Maleficent and Aurora met all sorts of new challenges. None of them were ever as volatile as the argument that almost tore them apart the first time, but there were still minor disagreements. It was only natural, though. With Aurora now living with Maleficent, they both had to make some adjustments. They had to get used to living together. Additionally, because of the nature of their relationship, Maleficent had to get used to being a mother while Aurora had to navigate being a (somewhat) normal teenager with a slightly more attentive parent than what she had before in her three aunties. They both had a new role to play now, and it was going to take practice.

"Come, Beastie, it is time to wake up!" Maleficent instructed the next morning.

"But, Godmother! It's so early!" Aurora mumbled sleepily.

"Beastie!" Maleficent repeated, in a warning tone. Normally, that sort of voice would've terrified any creature into total and perfect submission, but because Aurora did not fear Maleficent, she did nothing but offer up another tired groan.

The two went back and forth for a bit before Maleficent finally grew impatient enough to lift Aurora clean out of bed.

"Gah!" Aurora shrieked as suddenly found herself in Maleficent's arms instead of her bedding. She clung to Maleficent's neck as if it were a lifeline. "I'm up! I'm up! I'm up!" she cried.

"So you are," Maleficent couldn't stop a smirk as she slowly lowered Aurora back down to the ground.

"Ugh, was that really necessary?" Aurora demanded, shaking a bit as Maleficent finally set her down.

"Yes," Maleficent replied. "If you are going to live in the Moors, you will have to adjust to a new schedule. You will no longer be allowed to sleep in until noon. Perhaps your aunties may have let you get away with such nonsense, but not I! We have much more important things to do!" and then she strode off at a brisk pace, leaving Aurora to heave a final yawn and follow after. She gave a quick, longing look back at the bed she was leaving behind. It was every teenager's favorite part of the day, getting to sleep in, but it seemed like those days were over. Oh well. This _was _what Aurora had wanted, so she really had nothing else to do but accept her choice and see where it took her…

But those weren't the only little arguments they had. Several happened at night as well.

"But I'm not tired yet, Godmother!" Aurora pleaded with Maleficent as Maleficent bade her to go to bed.

"Doesn't matter," Maleficent replied sternly. "I have already let you stay up an hour past your regular bedtime!"

"Regular bedtime," Aurora echoed with a snort. "I am not a child, Godmother, I need no curfew."

"Oh yes you are," Maleficent replied sharply. "You are 16. Humans do not come of age until they are 18!"

"Oh wow. A two-year gap. What a big difference," Aurora deadpanned.

"Watch your tone," Maleficent warned, narrowing her eyes.

"What happened to the days when you let me wander the Moors to my heart's content?" Aurora asked back.

"Those were the days before you agreed to become my ward," Maleficent replied.

"Agreed to become your ward?" Aurora echoed with a frown.

"The day you agreed to live in the Moors with me," Maleficent clarified. "My house, my rules."

"Ugh! You sound just like my aunts!" Aurora complained.

"Oh, don't tell me you moved here only to escape them!" Maleficent frowned as well, starting to grow wary and annoyed.

"Of course not!" Aurora replied, looking hurt that Maleficent was even suspect such a thing. Was Aurora's love for Maleficent not obvious?

"Then please try to understand," Maleficent's voice and face softened in response to the pained look Aurora had just give her. "I do not mean to bother or offend you, and this is more than just about abiding by my rules. This is how we are going to get along. Boundaries have to be set. It seems to me that we have not yet been fully clear with one another. Let us take some time now to rectify that…" and she and Aurora did just as she had said, trying their best to be totally honest with one another and break through any remaining doubts or misunderstandings. This was new ground for both of them and they were going to need to communicate with one another if they wanted to get it cleared properly.

By the end of their talk, they had come to somewhat of a better understanding. Like Maleficent had said, these rules weren't just in place to bug Aurora, nor were they Maleficent's own feeble attempt at mirroring the way a human mother might behave. They were her way of trying to acclimate Aurora to life as a true citizen of the Moors. Sure, she had visited a few times in the past and sure, she'd grown up on the outskirts of the Moors, but to actually live as an active citizen was quite a different matter entirely. There was a lot of things to get used to. Maleficent's rules were supposed to help her get there. And even beyond making her transition into Moor life easier, the rules were also put in place for her own safety.

"I know you don't want to hear it," Maleficent said the moment Aurora began making _that _face at her. "But it's true. I'm only trying to protect you, just like we promised we would do back when you agreed to move to the Moors with me…" and that softened Aurora's face, and heart.

"You're right," she finally agreed. "I will try to be more understanding."

"And so will I," Maleficent replied and cautious smiles spread across her and Aurora's faces. Each woman had a new role to play and it was going to be hard, but they were determined to make it work. That was how love was, after all. You didn't just quit after one little fight. You kept going. And if you were really doing it right, you made amends with the person you were fighting with and you moved forward _together_. After all, it was like Aurora had promised to Maleficent back when they first agreed to move Aurora into the Moors.

"We will look after each other," the princess had said, and both she and Maleficent were bent upon keeping that vow.

The only problem was, when you were an "evil" fairy or a human princess who was the daughter of a mad king, looking after each other wasn't always as easy as it should've been. Each half of the mother-daughter duo was about to face a new role to play again, only these roles would require quite a bit of soul-searching and self-sacrifice.


	3. The Battle

_Caw! Caw! CAW! CAAAAWWW!_

"What, Diaval?! What?" Maleficent waved her hand impatiently, her raven servant turning back into his human form.

"It's Stefan, Mistress," the raven-man panted. "He's _here_!"

For only a split second, Maleficent stood stock still, like a statue. But after that second passed, she came alive with fury and power.

"Get Aurora to safety at once," she snarled at Diaval, angry not at him, but at the man who was threatening their peace. "Take her to the safest place you can think of and stay with her until I send word that it is safe for you to come out once more!"

"Yes, Mistress!" Diaval responded, then a second later, he was back in bird form. He could feel magic surging through his body, though. Maleficent was giving him some of her powers, so that he could shift into the animal of his choosing. He would stay as a raven for as long as possible, but if push came to shove, he had the power to turn into anything he wanted… including a dragon.

But while he flew off to find and protect Aurora, Maleficent went the opposite direction to lead her ranks into battle. She began shouting orders to every creature in the Moor and they didn't miss a single command.

"Tree Warriors! TO YOUR POSITIONS! Defend your queen and your kingdom!" she thundered as she crossed the Moors. The Tree Warriors creaked to life and began to march obediently after Maleficent.

"Awaken, Great Tree Dragon! Arise and assist your queen!" Maleficent bellowed next, waving her hand at the ground. A giant, snake-like head shot up from the soil and a roar louder than thunder filled the air. She hoped that it would scare Stefan and that he would stop before he dared came any closer. But in her heart, she knew he would follow her to the ends of the Earth, so great was his rage and hatred against her and her family.

"Please, Diaval," the fairy stopped to whisper a soft prayer to her oldest and dearest companion. "Keep Aurora safe until I come home." But unfortunately for Maleficent, her request wasn't going to be answered that easily. Instead, the second the Tree Dragon had come to life, Aurora heard its fearsome roar and knew at once what was happening.

"Stefan is here!" she gasped, and without a second of hesitation, she dropped everything she was doing and ran, not to safety, but to the frontlines. She wanted to be there when her "father" made his arrival. She wanted to be there when her godmother took a stand against him. She didn't want to miss a single second of the upcoming battle, no matter how fierce it would be. She wanted to stand beside her true family for the entire thing, no matter what personal cost came of it.

_Caw! Caw! CAW! _

"Oh no! Diaval!" Aurora muttered to herself. Normally, she would've been delighted to see the man who was more of a father than Stefan had ever been, but she already knew that he was not here to help her find the way to the battle. He was likely going to try and stop her. To protect her. And barely had those thoughts left Aurora's head when Diaval suddenly landed in front of her, turning into a man at the exact same second.

"Aurora!" he gasped. "Wait!" and he put out his arms to stop her.

"No! Diaval! Let me through!" she commanded, thrashing against him.

"But you can't go out there, Aurora!" the raven man pleaded, dark eyes wide with concern and grief, even though the fight had not even started yet.

"I can and I will!" Aurora shot back, still thrashing against his hold. "Besides, it's me Stefan wants! Let me see him!" she added angrily.

"And risk your life?" Diaval cried. "Never!" then he turned into a dragon, six times larger than Aurora. He scooped her up with ease and carried her away despite her outraged demands that he let her go.

_Do not fear, Aurora, we will look after each other until Maleficent can return. But until then…?_

Meanwhile, Stefan arrived to the great thorn wall surrounding the Moors. The entire kingdom seemed to have come with him. Even the peasants were armed to the teeth. And they were all wearing and bearing iron. Fantastic.

"MALEFICENT!" the crazed king thundered. "I BELIEVE YOU HAVE SOMETHING THAT BELONGS TO ME!"

"And what might that be?" the dark fairy landed easily in front of him, leaping down from the top of her thorn wall like a graceful jungle cat. The contrast was almost laughable. While Stefan stood armed to the teeth in iron, eyes and hair wild, Maleficent was cloaked only in a simple black robe, just like always, and her face was an impenetrable sea of calm. There was a tempest swirling in the depths, but it had not yet broken the eerily still and silent surface. She met his fierce gaze quietly, her own eyes half shut with ease. Her voice was low, soft and smooth. His was full of hate.

"My daughter," the king literally spat, drops of spittle almost landing on Maleficent's smooth and flawless face.

"What about her?" Maleficent managed to smirk while Stefan was literally grinding his teeth in a fury.

"You have her. Give her back to me."

"I never thought you were a family man?" Maleficent pretended to be perplexed and intrigued.

"You witch!" Stefan shot back.

"No," Maleficent said calmly. "A fairy. But in any case, I cannot return Aurora to you for I do not have her."

"You lie! I saw you leave the castle that night a month ago!" Stefan took a threatening step forward, but Maleficent held her ground.

"You are right that we left together, but that is exactly why I cannot "give" Aurora to you. She is not mine to give. She is not mine to possess. She is her own person and her choices belong to her and her alone…"

And there was another contrast between the king of the humans and the queer of the fairies. While Stefan had come to see Aurora only as a pawn to be used for benefit wherever it might've been, Maleficent saw the true worth and value in the princess' life. Like she had said, Aurora's life was not hers to control. While Stefan saw Aurora as a piece to be handed from owner to owner, Maleficent considered it impossible to give Aurora away because, like she had said, she did not own Aurora in the first place.

"YOU KNOW WHAT I MEANT!" Stefan bellowed, growing angrier and angrier.

"Did I?" Maleficent tilted her head and gave him a sweet smirk. "I think you are just mad that Aurora chose me over you…"

And then, the battle began.


	4. Wings

Neither the kingdom of humans nor the kingdom of fairies had ever seen quite so intense a battle before. Neither side refused to budge an inch. It seemed like the battle would carry on until only Maleficent or Stefan remained. At least until Stefan finally revealed what it was that had been strapped to his back this entire time. It was not a shield, as Maleficent had first thought. It was-

"My wings!" the pain in her voice had to be heard to be believed. Who would've ever thought a creature could sound so delighted, hopeful, agonized, broken and outraged all with two short words? And yet Maleficent had done it. Eyes filled with tears as hands reached out. Stefan's smile was a terrifying sight as he touched the wings with his iron gloves, burning them. Even though they were not attached to Maleficent, she could almost feel that familiar torture and she gave a howl of pain. Stefan laughed.

But the battle wasn't just happening outside the Moors. There was a smaller one happening within.

"Diaval! Let go!" Aurora thundered, pounding against the dragon's giant, scaly chest. She received a headshake in return. She had been screaming, crying, fighting, arguing and attacking him for the past hour straight, but he remained unmoved. He had to protect her, at all costs. And he would.

"You have to let me go to her! To Maleficent! You have to let me help her!" Aurora continued to sob.

_And just what do you think you could do to stop this war? _Diaval asked her silently, his dark eyes seeming to pierce her very soul with sadness. Were it as simple as letting Stefan see that Aurora had truly chosen Maleficent over him, Diaval would've personally escorted her to him, but they all knew Stefan would never accept defeat because he was literally no longer able to understand any concepts that went against his own.

Even if Aurora were to verbally tell him, and then write it down and sign it, that she had chosen Maleficent over him, Stefan's brain would only rewrite the story to convince himself that Aurora was being forced to say this because of Maleficent's magic. And even if Aurora were to hold this stance after he would, hypothetically, kill Maleficent, he would still figure out a way to deny the truth and insist that Aurora secretly wanted to go home and be his child. She was just addled by the Moors, that was all!

So no, going to Stefan was not an option. He literally was no longer able to see reason. Besides, he seemed like the kind of guy to lash out and kill anyone who angered him enough, even his own daughter, and Diaval was absolutely NOT going to risk Aurora's life for anything. Maleficent wasn't the only one who loved Aurora like a daughter. Diaval felt the same and he would've sooner had his feathers plucked out one by one before he let any harm befall the young human. You couldn't bargain with guys like Stefan. Letting Aurora near him would only end in blood.

But after enough arguing, Diaval suddenly felt that magical flow decrease. He could still control his shape, but something felt… different.

"Something's wrong, isn't it, Diaval?" Aurora gasped softly, ceasing her struggles. Whether he knew it or not, Diaval had accidentally made a face when he felt Maleficent's power within him waning. Aurora saw that look didn't need any explanation to understand. Her own blood ran cold. Even when Diaval tried to deny it, shaking his head again, Aurora refused to let it go this time.

"No! Something's wrong! I can see it! I can _feel _it! We have to go! Now! We have to help Maleficent!" and as she continued to beg, Diaval felt his resolve crumbling. He knew Maleficent would be beyond furious, but he loved Maleficent too and his worry for her was no less than his worry for Aurora. In his perfect world, Aurora would stay behind while he went to go save Maleficent, but he knew full well Aurora would never stay back. Not while her friends and family were in danger. So finally, Diaval caved. He placed Aurora on his back and took off…

The pair arrived just in time to see Maleficent on her knees in front of Stefan, but not because she was at his mercy. Instead, he was plucking the feathers off of her wings and all she could do was watch in tormented horror. Aurora and Diaval both made the most horrified and disgusted faces that the world had ever seen. There was something so wrong, so cruel, so _vile_ about watching Stefan torture Maleficent in such a despicable way. Both Aurora and Diaval saw red.

"STOP!" Aurora screamed. Her voice was not very loud, but it was so distinctive that it caught both Maleficent and Stefan's ears.

"Aurora?!"

"Beastie?" and there was another difference, the name they chose to address Aurora with, and the tone with which it was spoken. While Stefan sounded outraged and betrayed, Maleficent only sounded broken and ashamed. Aurora wanted nothing more than to run to her and scoop her up in her arms and never let her go again, but that could not happen. Not yet at least. They had someone else to contend with first…

Even though Aurora had said nothing, it was like Diaval could read her thoughts. He stomped over to Stefan and growled, smoke curling up from his throat. He managed to ignore all the weapons thrown at him by other nearby guards.

"Aurora!" Stefan thundered. "Come home at once!"

"I am!" Aurora snarled back at him. "I _am_ home and I am never going to let you take me away again!"

"You have been bewitched by this sorceress!" Stefan hissed at her, looking down at Maleficent contemptuously.

"No. She set me free. She _saved_ me," Aurora spoke with a deadly calm so uncharacteristic to her usually sunny disposition. "Can you say the same?" then she gestured all around them to the chaos of the battle Stefan had started. "No matter what you say, Maleficent is my mother. You had your chance to be my father, but you were so consumed by vengeance that you shut me out when I needed you the most. You proved where your loyalties lay the moment you valued your revenge over my life! You are _not_ my father and you NEVER WILL BE!"

Then right as Aurora said this, Diaval finally unleashed the inferno he had been holding back up to that point. By sheer dumb luck, Stefan managed to dodge the inferno by a hair. Rage matching the heat of Diaval's fire, he drew his sword again and screamed.

"SLAY THE DRAGON!" and even though his daughter was still sitting on the dragon's head, he lunged forward at Diaval. So did all of his men.

In the ensuing chaos, a nearby Tree Warrior managed to save Aurora before any of Stefan's men could accidentally hit her. He hid the princess within a gap in his wooden body while Diaval was finally free to fight back to his full extent without worrying about hurting Aurora.

"Wait! Put me down!" Aurora cried desperately to the Tree Warrior, pointing to Maleficent. The Tree Warrior seemed reluctant, but he obeyed Aurora's command nonetheless and set her down beside Maleficent, who was staring brokenly at her mangled and maimed wings.

"My wings," she gasped. "My wings…" and Aurora shuddered, for she had never heard Maleficent sounding so weak or lost or hopeless before.

"Godmother?" she reached out to touch Maleficent, but the fairy jerked away the second their skin made contact.

"My wings!" she cried again, bitter and broken. Aurora felt tears pricking her own eyes, but as much as she hated to say it, they did not have time to grieve. They were still in the middle of a war. As much as Maleficent deserved the right to cry, now simply could not be the time.

"Please, Godmother, please! Get up!" the human whispered to the fairy. "We can take your wings with us, but please! We must go now!" then she picked the wings up off the ground gingerly, before handing them to Maleficent. At first, she jerked away from them as if worried they would burn her. But at the same time, feeling those familiar and supple parts writhing under her touch, however weakly, seemed to return a spark into Maleficent's heart and immediately, her face cleared.

"You are right, Beastie, we are not finished yet…" she whispered, then she turned a murderous gaze to Stefan. She removed her hand from her severed wings again, but this time, she could still feel their phantom feathers under her fingertips.


	5. We Will Take Care of Each Other

"STEFAN!" Maleficent thundered. The mad king lowered his sword from Diaval and turned to face the broken fairy. He said nothing, but the hatred in his eyes spoke more than words ever could. It somehow managed to intensify when he noticed his daughter holding the fairy's hand. And she was holding the mangled wings. That much was able to coax a small, sadistic smile from Stefan's face, but that was the last expression he got to make before Maleficent had charged him. Even if she was a fairy and, thusly, naturally inclined to fight from the air, spending over 16 years without wings meant that she was painfully and terrifying good at hand-to-hand combat.

While Diaval continued to fight the other guards, Stefan and Maleficent engaged in a personal, private one-on-one. Aurora looked ready to jump into the fray, but she wisely held back, hugging Maleficent's wings to her chest. She could feel them fluttering weakly in her arms and it broke her heart to see how feeble they looked while missing over half their feathers. She was disgusted and horrified to think that such a cruel human could exist, let alone be her birthfather. She stroked the wings almost subconsciously as they continued to pulse weakly in her arms. All around them, war continued to rage. It was a strange thing to see, one small girl protectively cradling two broken mounds of flesh while so much more was lost all around her, but there was a beauty in it as well. This was a girl who was tremendously brave. Now, she had a fairy standing in front of her who was determined to show the equal amount of courage against the man who had started it all…

Physical and verbal blows were exchanged. Maleficent used her magic and Stefan his sword. They shouted, swore, insulted and cursed, each one blaming the other for the 16 years of torture that their entire kingdoms had suffered. But in the end, there was one final divergence. Where Stefan continued to insist that every amount of suffering was Maleficent's fault, Maleficent was willing to see how they both shared the blame. Maleficent did not count herself anywhere near as cruel or evil or tyrannical as Stefan, but she was willing to admit that she had been no saint either. She was willing to admit this and repent. Stefan was not.

"I know I did you and Aurora wrong, and I am sorry for that," the fairy confessed during their brawl. "But I am willing to make the steps to move forward, to move past the tragedy and recover and grow again. Can you say the same?" and the answer was no.

"You don't deserve to get off that easily!" Stefan snarled, seeming to forget how much Maleficent had suffered already. And because he was unable to see his own flaws and faults, he remained trapped in a prison of the mind, slave to his own dark and bitter thoughts. While Maleficent was able and willing to see and move past her suffering, Stefan remained stubbornly locked away in his. Because of that, while Maleficent was able to find some semblance of a clear mind, Stefan was not.

While Stefan continued to be blinded by rage, Maleficent was able to look at the situation with a clear and relatively level head. She was able to see what he could not, not just metaphorically, but literally as well. He was so fixated on her, and her alone, that he was not using his surroundings, the way Maleficent soon would. She danced around him, angling him towards the thorn wall. While he remained focused on her and her alone, she kept one eye on the wall. With a clear head, she was able to see and plan. He could only act in the moment. His lack of foresight became his own undoing. Once he was successfully trapped in the thorn wall, there was nothing left to do except squeeze…

The moment Stefan had breathed his last, Maleficent called off all of her soldiers and commanded a retreat. For a second, it seemed as if the humans might pursue, but the moment they got a good look at their king (or what remained of him) they all thought the better of it and entered a retreat of their own. Besides, many of them were only starved and frightened peasants. Even though they were in no way innocent or good, it really had only been Stefan who harbored enough rage and hatred to attack the Moors so recklessly. With him gone, the rest of the army was quick to flee.

Then, the second the last human had fled the Moors, Maleficent finally turned away to Aurora. The girl was still cradling her wings and her eyes were sparkling with tears, not of grief or fear or anguish, but of relief, pride and joy that she and Maleficent had both survived to see the end of the battle, and to see one another again. They exchanged teary smiles as Maleficent approached Aurora and reached out to touch her face. Aurora whimpered and nodded, unable to respond because she was still holding on to Maleficent's broken wings. But the look in her eyes said it all. She loved Maleficent and she was so glad that they had both survived Stefan's invasion and finally brought about an end to his madness…

And luckily, Diaval had survived too. Maleficent smiled tiredly up at the large dragon before bringing him back down into his human form. He gave her a weak laugh and seeing the smile on his face was enough to release the last bit of tension that she had been holding. The casualties were high, but Maleficent was selfishly able to say that at least she, Aurora and Diaval had made it out alive. He looked tired and scratched up, but he was in no danger of death and he was still able to smile. That was all Maleficent or Aurora needed to know to feel at peace…

In the months to come, then, the fairy, the raven and the human worked long and hard to repair their kingdom and its relationship to the one right next door. With Stefan gone, both sides were far more eager for a treaty and Aurora was able to be the connection point around which the treaty was signed and sealed. Although she might've been more of a Moors girl at heart, her status as the heir to the human throne proved to be quite beneficial in terms of human-fairy negotiation. Then once a shaky peace had been established, Aurora and her family were able to work on the Moors, taking down the thorn walls and properly honoring their brave, fallen friends.

The most important of all, however, came long after the initial dust had settled.

"Godmother?" Aurora asked, approaching Maleficent gently.

"Beastie?" Maleficent's voice was full of unspoken pain, but she was able to smile at Aurora.

"I have a gift for you," said Aurora.

"A gift?" just for a second, some of Maleficent's grief was replaced by intrigue and amusement. "What is the occasion?"

"There is none. It's just a gift that is long overdue," Aurora replied with a sad smile, then she flicked her head back to the place where she and Maleficent lived. Curious, Maleficent followed Aurora back. What she saw once they arrived at the home, though, made everything clear and she nearly fell to her knees in gratitude and relief. It was her wings. And they had been fully restored, repaired and re-feathered. How Aurora had managed to do it was beyond Maleficent, but that did not matter. What did matter was that the wings were back.

"Well?" Aurora asked, already sounding choked up. "Go get them…" and Maleficent did. Upon closer inspection, she realized that some of the feathers belonged to Diaval. So… he had plucked some of his own feathers for her? There were no words to describe her gratitude. He always insisted that it was he who owed her a life debt. Now she was more than convinced that it was really the other way around…

The second she touched the wings, they flew to her back and reattached. It was a painful, burning process, but for once, the pain felt good.

"Beastie," the dark fairy whispered once the reattachment was complete. "I don't know what to say…"

"Then say nothing," Aurora replied softly, taking Maleficent's hands in her own. "We promised that we will take care of each other…" then she stopped speaking as well, both she and Maleficent overcome with tears. They fell into one another's embrace and stayed that way for a good while more, Maleficent's wings instinctively wrapping around both of them to give them their privacy. Neither of failed to notice how perfectly the wings fit around them, like it had always been meant to be… Now their family was finally complete.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Ok, so there's the end to that annoyingly long alternate ending. It was only supposed to be a 1 or 2 shot, but it became a 5 shot! Ugh. That went on WAY longer than expected… But I confess that I still had fun writing it. I hope y'all had fun reading it. Shoutout again to Qiralyn Cassette, for whom this story was written.


End file.
